Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-09-21
DAILY HERALD.
THE FATHER OF BASEBALL.
ssDilly'' Mcmahon Wakes up at
che sight of his Old Chum.

Pve almost forgotten the game. Who
told you knew anything about base
ball +? Listen to this young fellow,
boys. Ha, ha; oh, my goodness
Tom Foley told you! Where in the
name of all that's sacred is Tom
Tom Foley! Why, great thunder! l
thought he had gone under. No?
Here in Chicago? Well, I must see
him" and with that a smooth-faced,
pleasant, ioyial old gem
tlemn jumped to his feet and asked
the reporter to direct him to the
of cold Tom The
speaker was William (Billy) McMahon,
one Of the old gentlemen comprising
the volunteer fire department of New
York, who made such an interesting
parade in the city yesterday. He is
like most of his comrades-gray-
haired and well-off-but the sparkle OF
fun still shines from his eyes, and his
old legs do their duty almost as well as
they did score OF years ago.
All of these old, wealthy volunteer
fire-fghters of New York are interest
ing characters, naturally. They can
SO easily recall "reminiscences of the
long ago. VIM. McMahon is 5S years
old, and in one sense is the father OF
baseball as science. Long ago,
when many of the great professional
players of the present time were MAX
ing mud pies, he was getting tired OF
taking hot liners and daisy cutters.
He it was who first organized the old
New York Mutuals. And, too, he is
the man who gave to Chicago its first
club. christened White Stockings.
"Well, we'll, who'd a thought it !
To come way out here to Chicago to
be asked about base ball But | can
tell you something about the old days
and the players, that's fact. Let's
see--it was along in '52 when first
got to be some pumpkins as a ball
player. That was the time when base
ball was in swaddling clothes and
needed a nurse. The only two clubs
then in existence were the Knicker-
bockers and New Yorks, afterward
called Gothams. You know-but of
course you don't know, young
man = but I'll tell you. There
were no innings in those days.
No, sir = no innings Twenty-one
aces (runs) counted a game, and
the club which made them first won
the game. Well, was butcher boy
in 1852, stout, strong and active, and
oh, how could run and chase ball,
and the old man rubbed his legs most
tenderly as spell of deep thought
came over him and the old days
passed in review before his fancy.
By this time quite number of his
old comrades, who are journeying on
pleasure tour to the far West. gath
cred about and listened.
$50, as l said, these last two clubs
were to meet and battle for the su-
premacy," he continued. "The scene
of strife was at the old Redhouse
grounds in Harlem, at the foot of 1O9th
street. It's race track now. | be-
longed to the New Yorks, or Gothams,
and played short stop. Bill Barnes
was catcher, Tom Van Cott pitcher,
and his brother, Judge Van Cott, at
that time the magistrate at the Ma
rine Court, was third base. The rest
1 can't recollect. Well, the Knicker-
bockers won the toss, and, unlike the
practice Of nowadays, took the bat.
They made five runs and we followed
with three. The next time we
skunked 'em, and in two more times
at bat we made twenty-one aces and
won the game"
''Yes, and l took your place at the
butcher shop while you played"
spoke up a tall, white-bearded old
fireman named Silas Ling, who now
owns his own place of business, is
well off, and, with the rest, is sight
seeing.
Eyes, that's so, Sile," answered the
speaker. Then l laid off as prize
player until '57, when | organized the
Mutuals. l was the short stop. and
the record We made may be found
even now in the annals of base ball.
The country got stirred up on the
game about this time, and |, at the
solicitation of Tom Foley-there's only
one Tom Foley in the country, and he
halls from Chicago-got together a
crowd OF players and sent them
to Chicago, naming them the
White Stockings. Those that re-
member composing the nine were
Bill Craver, Jim Woods, Mart King
and his brother Jim. 1t was with this
club that we fellows, the Mutuals of
New York, made the great and first
record of scoring 8 to 0, and from this
game came the expression "Chica-
goed," which, | understand, is used
to this day when a whitewash is
effected. Then l and few more of
the boys formed the great Red Stock
ings of Cincinnati and sent them on
to the Ohio Metropolis. And-oh,
thunder! it's been long time ago
and it's too tiresome to think up.
Let's have sumthin', everybody"
and in a few moments Mr.. brakes
wet pantry at the Pacific Hotel was
obscured.
''But the base ball OF to-day amt a
marker to that of twenty-five wears
ago." he resumed. "Why, what
catcher could have stood behind
Johnny fairfield, whose throwing
record at Hartford has never been
beaten? Yet your pitchers of to-day
fire in ball overhead as though they
meant to commit murder. No, no
gimme the good old underhand throw,
lots of hitting and lots OF pretty field
ing. That's your game for fun. III
stand ready now to gamble $500 to
$1,000 that the clubs OF to-day, using |
the same lively, half rubber ball we
used, cannot excel the good score we |
made in the old days." and the old |
short-stop moistened his larynx and
glanced proudly about him.
He referred to Harry and George
Wright and said that he had nodding |
with Anson.
81 am sorry the Chicagos were beat
en- twice yesterday" said the veteran.
mot that | have anything against the |
Detroits, but because of the club I |
christened White Stockings, my God !
child as it were, should be so badly
beaten. haven't seen game in two
years; I'm too old, but l like it Just
he same, and would wish nothing
e